Potential, Unpotential AK owner

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tacxted

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Are you following me? I came into some money and I can afford to buy the sgl21 at its current price of $919!

Now Im stressing out. Near $1000 is alot of money to me right now. In 2010 when I first wanted this rifle it cost $710! Now the same rifle is $900...

Anyone have any insight on price trends? Maybe someone has seen this before around this time of year. (xmas) Can anyone assure me that the price may come down X amount? Or, after past elections prices fell?

I really want this rifle but I feel it is fast moving out of my reach at my income level.
 
I bet it be priced close to $950 before half of next year. Get it now as things are very unpredictable.
 
The price will probably peak in the next couple of weeks, then come down quite a bit in the month or two after the election.
I like the crystal ball you are looking into. I'm not quite as optimistic though; if you want it buy it. If you are concerned about price the shop around for a nice used one and see if you can save a few bucks that way.
 
if you got the money now and want it get it. the price may go up or down but that will only make a difference when you go to sell it.
 
I like the crystal ball you are looking into. I'm not quite as optimistic though; if you want it buy it. If you are concerned about price the shop around for a nice used one and see if you can save a few bucks that way.
I agree with Turtle. I'm not sure of his reasoning, but mine is this: With the current emphasis being placed on the unrest in the Middle East and the faltering economy, I don't see any immediate gun grabbing in our future. It's been four years with the current goof, if the Gov wanted to implement more heinous gun laws, they would've by now.

It's supply/demand that drives the market. Demand, as of now, probably gets inflated due to mass paranoia.
 
i spent 950 on a milled mak with the furniture changed to the pistol grip confirguration. Did i over pay?(milled maks are roughly 750-800 on average but can be ahd lower and the stock set is roughly 160) yea a little bit but the fact of the matter i got tired of waiting for the perfect deal and while i was prices jumped up on every AK(i was looking for about a year before i found one i thought was worth buying).

so id say go ahead and get and dont look back
 
Im going to take a gamble and wait to see if prices will come back down into sanity.

I may eat thoes words after the vote. In the sense that prices wont come down but continue to rise.

Ive got another gun on my list that is half the price. I still wont have a rifle in my safe ,but I can afford to buy two guns for the price of that one and afford to shoot.
 
Know what's neat? If you google "unpotential" to see if it's a word (it's not) this thread is right near the top. You're unpotentially making internet history.

As for advice? Buy it now. It will only get more expensive, either relatively (declining value of the $) or actually (appreciation, inflating cost due to a new assault-weapons ban, any number of possibilities.)
 
If you feel anxious and nervous about making that kind of purchase, then your conscience is probably telling you it isn't a wise move for your current situation. I'd get a WASR. It'll do 99% of what the SGL21 would just as well, and it's been demonstrated time and time again that buying fancy things doesn't provide long-term satisfaction, especially if it puts you under financial stress. Spending nearly $1000 on an AK is very difficult for me to swallow. You're paying a lot for refinement in a gun that made its reputation on being tough, reliable, and simple (both to use and manufacture). It's like buying a hand-upholstered tractor or maybe a gold-plated roofing hammer.
 
Most honorable member Eldon519 took the words right out of my mouth....

(quote) "If you feel anxious and nervous about making that kind of purchase, then your conscience is probably telling you it isn't a wise move for your current situation. I'd get a WASR. It'll do 99% of what the SGL21 would just as well, and it's been demonstrated time and time again that buying fancy things doesn't provide long-term satisfaction, especially if it puts you under financial stress. Spending nearly $1000 on an AK is very difficult for me to swallow. You're paying a lot for refinement in a gun that made its reputation on being tough, reliable, and simple (both to use and manufacture). It's like buying a hand-upholstered tractor or maybe a gold-plated roofing hammer."

It sounds like the money is an issue for you,that's fair enough, we've all been there. But, the fact is that you can get a perfectly fine,perfectly reliable,straight shooting AK for lots less. I'm a BIG fan of the AK, and I've owned everything from humble WASR's to Polytechs',and there simply was NOT a thousand dollar's difference in them. If you have a wasr with uncanted sights & gas tube,that fires reliably, well then.....YOU GOT AN AK !!!! All the rest is mostly just braggin' rights, don't buy into the BS hype.
Keep an eye on your local Armslist, decent deals show up regularly....
http://www.armslist.com/
 
Hankdatank :Know what's neat? If you google "unpotential" to see if it's a word (it's not) this thread is right near the top. You're unpotentially making internet history.

Follow this, Im rewriting the future.... theres potential that I am Unpotentially making internet history, potentially. :rolleyes: Now Im confused!

The SGL21-73 because it is a brand new ak! Straight from russia! Ive got this thing about my guns. I buy new, I buy once, to last a life time and the next. Plus the stock is OD (I like OD) and the LOP is longer.(this is easy to change on any ak, I know)

Though, I have been reading some about the "less expensive", but not so much "cheaper" aks. I may change my mind about buying an ak other than arsenal. I held a Saiga today with a sporterized looking front end that took regular ak mags. I liked it and it was only $660. I also held a Milled Arsenal (SLR I think) selling for $1000.

I asked myself, Why Im all hyped up about a stamped ak when I can get a Milled ak for the same price? ... That being said, Why would I buy a $1000 milled ak when I can buy a WASR 10 for $500 and save the rest? ...

Well said Eldon, well said.
 
Follow this, Im rewriting the future.... theres potential that I am Unpotentially making internet history, potentially. :rolleyes: Now Im confused!

The SGL21-73 because it is a brand new ak! Straight from russia! Ive got this thing about my guns. I buy new, I buy once, to last a life time and the next. Plus the stock is OD (I like OD) and the LOP is longer.(this is easy to change on any ak, I know)

Though, I have been reading some about the "less expensive", but not so much "cheaper" aks. I may change my mind about buying an ak other than arsenal. I held a Saiga today with a sporterized looking front end that took regular ak mags. I liked it and it was only $660. I also held a Milled Arsenal (SLR I think) selling for $1000.

I asked myself, Why Im all hyped up about a stamped ak when I can get a Milled ak for the same price? ... That being said, Why would I buy a $1000 milled ak when I can buy a WASR 10 for $500 and save the rest? ...

Well said Eldon, well said.
Well, you must remember, if you ever decide to change furniture stuff for milled receivers isn't the easiest to come by. At least, not as easy as stamped. Plus, stamped is lighter.
 
The SGL is a great rifle, but I absolutely would not buy one a month before or after a presidential election. The rising prices are due to two big factors: one, Saiga importation has always been feast and famine and we just came out of a dry spell and, two, election year fear mongering. I say wait and prices will eventually come down. There's just no urgent reason to buy one right now.
 
Well I'm glad you found my comment helpful. If we were talking about some kind of race-ready 1911 competition gun that needed to be hand-fit by magic forest elves in order to run reliably, I could see shelling out the extra cash for a top of the line. The beauty of the AK design is that it just plain works and without the need for skilled craftsmen or meticulous maintenance. The originals were stamped, and obviously they have proven themselves up to the task around the world.
 
Ive been looking at other makes/models that are around.

The Zastava m70 pap looks good but is lacking a side rail, and I get the sense that furniture is hard to get. Gets my no go stamp.

Veprs are to expensive. No go stamp.

Wasr 10 is looking better, as long as I can throw on some polymer furniature and the rifle is put together good. Im still not happy with the problems I have been reading about, even if the cost is lower.

The Arsenal sgl gets my no go stamp for now. This can change if the price is back to sub $700.
 
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You can also slam the butt or the rifle on the ground and inertia should move the bolt back and free it up. Don't blame me if you damage the stock.

Or sky-rocket if the O wins :(

But for me, high dollar AKs always make me think of sow's ears and silk purses, I love the AK for what it is -- simple and reliable, but when they cost as much as a decent AR IMHO its a no-brainer to go with the AR!
 
The M10. No I havent read of these. The gas block looks different, but not bad-different. The barrel looks thicker, thats a plus. It also has a side rail, plus! $630 we may have a winner!

Who imports? Reputation? Is it a "new" never fired gun and barrel?

I hear ya wally. I know $800 - $1000 can get a nice ar. Im just not into ARs. Unless its an AR in .308, but I cant afford to feed that right now.
 
Unless its an AR in .308, but I cant afford to feed that right now

I just got an AR .308 from CMMG for ~$1200 and its functions fine with the cheap Wolf/Tula steel cased ammo, accuracy is better with better ammo, but I'm sure enjoying it with cheap steel cased .308 on 8" steel plates and 2-liter plastic bottles at ~100 yards!
 
The M10. No I havent read of these. The gas block looks different, but not bad-different. The barrel looks thicker, thats a plus. It also has a side rail, plus! $630 we may have a winner!

Who imports? Reputation? Is it a "new" never fired gun and barrel?

The M10s are imported by a group in Colorado. Can't remember their name just now. It's built by Cugir in Romania, same people who do the WASRs. The gas block is off a Romanian Draco pistol. Barrel is pretty standard, it looks thicker but it's not. Although it is a Romanian chrome lined cold hammer forged barrel so it's a good one. It'll also be new because the BATFE doesn't allow demilled barrels to be used for building AKs. The quad rails and side scope rail are standard equipment but the saw grip, AR style stock, and flash hider are not stock for that rifle.

Overall quality has been really good with these rifles. I don't think I've heard of any significant complaints with them.
 
Looks like they went on sale!
http://centerfiresystems.com/AKAGUN05.aspx
Here is the stock configuration, I should have mentioned I added a few things to mine.
AKAGUN05-D.jpg

I have about 400 rounds through mine with 0 issues. They are also full 922r compliant to use surplus mags. The only issue you will find is the finish is thin and will be worn in spots when you get the rifle
 
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